Bellum Alexandrinum 8

B. Alex. 8.1Caesar suōrum timōrem cōnsōlātiōne et ratiōne minuēbat.

Caesar lessened his men's fear by comfort and argument.

Note. suōrum: 'of his men'.

B. Alex. 8.1Nam puteīs fossīs aquam dulcem reperīrī posse adfirmābat: omnia enim lītora nātūrāliter aquae dulcis vēnās habēre.

For he declared that fresh water could be found by digging wells: all shores naturally have veins of fresh water.

Note. puteīs fossīs: ablative absolute, 'by digging wells'. omnia enim lītora … habēre: Caesar's reasoning, still in indirect statement.

B. Alex. 8.2Quod sī alia esset lītoris Aegyptiī nātūra atque omnium reliquōrum, tamen, quoniam mare līberē tenērent, neque hostēs classem habērent, prohibērī sēsē nōn posse, quō minus cōtīdiē nāvibus aquam peterent vel ā sinistrā parte ā Parātoniō vel ā dextrā ab īnsulā, quae dīversae nāvigātiōnēs numquam ūnō tempore adversīs ventīs praeclūderentur.

But if the nature of the Egyptian shore were different from all others, still, since they held the sea freely and the enemy had no fleet, they could not be prevented from fetching water by ship every day, either on the left from Paraetonium or on the right from the island; and these voyages, being in opposite directions, would never be closed by contrary winds at the same time.

Note. Quod sī: 'but if'. alia … atque: 'other than'. quoniam … tenērent: subjunctive because it is part of reported speech. quō minus … peterent: 'from fetching'. Parātoniō: so Kübler prints (Paraetonium, a harbour west of Alexandria). quae dīversae nāvigātiōnēs: 'voyages which, being in opposite directions …', a relative clause of characteristic.

B. Alex. 8.3Fugae vērō nūllum esse cōnsilium nōn sōlum iīs, quī prīmam dignitātem habērent, sed nē iīs quidem, quī nihil praeterquam dē vītā cōgitārent.

Flight, however, was no plan at all, not only for those who held the first rank, but not even for those who thought of nothing but their lives.

Note. Fugae: genitive with cōnsilium, 'plan of flight'. nōn sōlum … sed nē … quidem: 'not only … but not even'. praeterquam dē vītā: 'except about their lives'.

B. Alex. 8.4Magnō negōtiō impetūs hostium adversōs ex mūnītiōnibus sustinērī;

Only with great effort were the enemy's attacks being withstood from the fortifications;

Note. Magnō negōtiō: 'with great difficulty'. impetūs: accusative plural, subject of sustinērī.

B. Alex. 8.4quibus relictīs nec locō nec numerō parēs esse posse.

if these were abandoned, they could be equal to them neither in position nor in numbers.

Note. quibus relictīs: 'if these were abandoned' — the ablative absolute has conditional force. locō … numerō: ablatives of respect.

B. Alex. 8.5Magnam autem moram et difficultātem ascēnsum in nāvēs habēre, praesertim ex scaphīs;

Moreover, boarding the ships involved great delay and difficulty, especially from small boats;

Note. ascēnsum: subject of habēre in indirect statement. scaphīs: small boats used to reach the ships.

B. Alex. 8.5summam esse contrā in Alexandrīnīs vēlōcitātem locōrumque et aedificiōrum nōtitiam.

on the other side, the Alexandrians had the greatest speed and knowledge of the ground and the buildings.

Note. contrā: adverb, 'on the other side'.

B. Alex. 8.6Hōs praecipuē in victōriā īnsolentēs praecursūrōs et loca excelsiōra atque aedificia occupātūrōs: ita fugā nāvibusque nostrōs prohibitūrōs.

These men, above all arrogant in victory, would run ahead and seize the higher ground and the buildings: so they would keep our men from flight and from the ships.

Note. Hōs: the Alexandrians. praecursūrōs, occupātūrōs, prohibitūrōs: future infinitives with esse omitted. fugā nāvibusque … prohibitūrōs: prohibeō with the ablative of separation.

B. Alex. 8.6Proinde eius cōnsiliī oblīvīscerentur atque omnī ratiōne esse vincendum cōgitārent.

Let them therefore forget that plan and think that they must win by every means.

Note. oblīvīscerentur, cōgitārent: in indirect speech commands become subjunctive: 'let them forget … and think'. eius cōnsiliī: oblīvīscor takes the genitive. esse vincendum: impersonal gerundive, 'that they must win'.